Press

Matthew Rodriguez, a writer for the Sundance Channel and an “Avengers” fan tweeted after the film, “My mind is still blown over how MARVEL-ous The Avengers was … although I DID NOT APPRECIATE THAT ADOPTION JOKE, THOR.”

He later tells msnbc.com he did laugh at the line, but it’s still a cause for concern. “As an adoptee, I didn’t have a problem and chuckled at Thor’s line. However, at one point in my life as a younger person struggling with identity issues, I probably would’ve felt some discomfort with it,” the writer explains. “Being adopted is a complication that can come, varying from person to person of course, with a baggage of additional issues that non-adopted people never have to worry or think about. … While I personally wasn’t offended by the joke, at the same time, as an adoptee, I also deeply understand why some would (be).”

Nevertheless, he agrees that humor shouldn’t have limits.

“Comics have the right to poke fun at whoever they want and I don’t think adopted people should be off-limits, he adds. “I say this both as a minority (Korean-American) and adoptee.”

For Matthew Rodriguez, 29, a Web marketer and Gilt shopper, the sales turn shopping into a game. “Knowing the sales start every day at noon makes me really competitive to get an item before someone else gets it,” he said. He recently bought a pair of Clae white patent leather sneakers for $38 on Gilt. They can sell for as much as $135 in retail stores.

Such public displays of Asian-ness are clearly celebrated by some members of the Pan-Asian community. “When I see a Chinese or Filipino or Japanese gain some prominence, I feel a sense of pride,” says Korean American graduate student Matthew Sun-Jin Rodriguez via e-mail. But others are less impressed with- accomplishments achieved in reference to existing norms and established channels.